Markus Andrews

Five years on from the UK referendum that would see us leave the EU and what have we learned? The one thing both sides can probably agree on is that the way the UK left the EU was not handled as well as it could have been. To start with, that was the fault of the leavers, who appeared not to know what they meant by Brexit, and whose two leaders, Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, fell out with each other in spectacular fashion. When Andrea Leadsom also fell by the wayside, that meant it was left to a remainer – albeit a reluctant one – to negotiate our departure.It was then that the remainers miscalculated, thinking that they had a chance of stopping Brexit altogether, which in hindsight they probably never did. All they succeeded in doing was to hand Johnson a big election mandate for a “hard” form of Brexit. Since then, the remainers have been right about two things. One, the cost of leaving the EU was sharper and more immediate than most economists expected, although it was concealed by the effects of the coronavirus. Two, Brexit was not the end of negotiations with the EU, but the beginning, as we saw at the G7 summit in Cornwall.But remainers have to accept that the success of the British vaccines has unexpectedly strengthened the argument that the EU is a slow and inefficient bureaucracy.Here at The Independent we are preparing to discuss all of the above, and more, as we mark the historic vote anniversary with an exclusive virtual event, which is free to attend, and is being hosted by none other than our very own chief political commentator John Rentoul.Alongside John will be our political columnist and former political editor Andrew Grice. During the stream the pair will be recounting their own experiences and memories of that day in 2016 as well as quizzing our two guest political speakers David Gauke, former justice secretary, and Lord Adonis, chair of the European Movement, who are set to join them on the panel for the evening.They will examine how it came about that the leave vote conquered and address the fallout that followed. There will also be assessment of where it has led us to now that we are six months down the line from officially leaving the European single market and what the future holds. After the discussion there will be opportunity to ask the panel questions about their own insight and opinions on Brexit as well as what the future holds for the EU.The event will be held on June 23 at 6.30pm. To sign up for free to the Zoom panel discussion, and submit a question to the panel ahead of the event, click here. More

The Brexit minister has risked inflaming tensions with the EU further after he again suggested the UK could unilaterally extend a “grace period” for checks on goods to Northern Ireland.Lord Frost told MPs there had been little progress in talks designed to end the conflict over Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal. He added: “Obviously we would prefer to find negotiated ways forward if we can. If that’s not possible … other options remain on the table.”UK and EU officials are in discussions to resolve the row before the current system comes to a halt at the end of this month.Lord Frost told MPs that a UK suggestion that both sides agree to an extension had so far fallen on deaf ears.He accused the EU of sticking to a “very purist” position and risked escalating the war on words over the issue by appearing to blame the bloc.“It would seem to me a pity to make this negotiation that is very complex and tense even more so, ” he said. His comments came as he gave evidence to the Commons Northern Ireland Affairs committee.DUP politicians have claimed that the part of Mr Johnson’s Brexit deal known as the Northern Ireland protocol is risking peace in the province.They warn it effectively puts a border down the Irish Sea, separating Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.The protocol was agreed between the two sides in a bid to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, itself seen as a possible threat to the peace process.It was backed by Mr Johnson and his ministers, despite being rejected by his predecessor, Theresa May, who warned it would be a threat to the structural integrity of the UK.Lord Frost told the committee the protocol required the consent of all sides in Northern Ireland, with fears of a return to violence as the loyalist marching season gets under way in earnest next month.“As the prime minister said, we’ll do whatever we have to, to make sure we support the peace process. The protocol depends on consent, it is very difficult to operate if there is not consent and willingness from one section of Northern Ireland opinion.”In comments that will raise eyebrows on the continent, he said: “In the circumstances where the politics are so delicate, and we all say we are trying to support the Good Friday Agreement, and take the EU on their word on that, it would seem sensible to look at these things in a more reasonable way.” More

Labour leader Keir Starmer has hit out at Boris Johnson after a surge in the Delta variant saw the UK record the highest rate of coronavirus cases in Europe, according to a Oxford University-based research platform. Sir Keir told Mr Johnson the British people had done “their bit”, by following the rules and getting a vaccination. “But the prime minister squandered it by letting a new variant into the country that was not inevitable, “ he said, “it was the consequence of his indecision.”“We learned today that tragically once again the UK has the highest infection rate in Europe,” he added.Labour sources pointed to the platform ‘Our World in Data’, which showed that 107.3 people per million in the UK tested positive for the virus on average per day in the last week.The UK is now ahead of more than 40 other European countries included in the statistics. Earlier this week ministers announced they would have to delay plans to fully reopen society in England for a month, because of the surge in the Delta strain. A race is now on try to get millions more vaccines into arms before the new deadline of 19 June.Labour have accused the prime minister of allowing the strain, first identified in India, into the UK because of his desire to strike a post-Brexit trade deal with the country. The party says tougher restrictions on travel from India could have prevented the variant gaining such a foothold in the UK.At Prime Minister’s Questions Sir Keir said: “We all want.. our economy to be open, for businesses to thrive – but the Prime Minister’s indecision at the borders has blown it.”Boris Johnson could be heard shouting “rubbish” before the Labour leader added: “And the problem with everything the prime minister says today, both at the despatch box and what he’s muttered, is that we’ve heard it all before so many times.“Last March he said we could turn the tide in 12 weeks, remember that? Then he said it’d all be over by Christmas. Then we were told June 21 would be ‘freedom day’. Now we’re told July 19 is ‘terminus day’.“The British people don’t expect miracles but they do expect basic competence and honesty, and when it comes to care homes, protective equipment or borders, we see the same pattern from this Prime Minister – too slow, too indecisive, over-promising, under-delivering.“After all these failures and mistakes, why should anyone believe the Prime Minister now?” More

Ministers are reportedly preparing to announce that care home workers will be required to have mandatory coronavirus vaccines.The Government has held a consultation into the controversial proposal as a measure to protect the most vulnerable from contracting Covid-19.Officials at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) did not deny a report by the Guardian saying that ministers will approve the measure for social care workers in England.Under the plans, staff working with adults will be given 16 weeks to get vaccinated or face losing their jobs, according to the newspaper.A DHSC spokeswoman said: “Vaccines are our way out of this pandemic and have already saved thousands of lives – with millions of health and care staff vaccinated.“Our priority is to make sure people in care homes are protected and we launched the consultation to get views on whether and how the government might take forward a new requirement for adult care home providers, looking after older people, to only deploy staff who have had a Covid-19 vaccination or have an appropriate exemption.”She added that the department’s response to the consultation will be published “in due course”.Speaking on Sky News, the cabinet minister Liz Truss declined to be drawn to whether the government has decided to make vaccinations for care home staff mandatory, saying on Wednesday: “We are currently consulting on this issue.What we do know is that it’s incredibly important that staff in care homes are vaccinated.“We have got a hugely vulnerable population in our care homes and making sure that staff are vaccinated is a priority.”Asked what her position would be if she had a parent in a home, Ms Truss said: “I would want the staff to be vaccinated, of course I would, because I would want my parent to be protected.”However, multiple care groups and unions have raised concerns about mandatory vaccination and critics of the proposal have raised ethical queries and have warned that compulsion could harden opposition in those who are hesitant to be vaccinated.The UK’s human rights watchdog, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has however concluded it is “reasonable” to legally require care home staff to be vaccinated.But it did advise that safeguards should be included to minimise the risk of discrimination by including exemptions including for staff who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. Considerations are ongoing over whether to extend the measure to NHS staff. More

Boris Johnson is facing the prospect of a backbench Conservative rebellion as MPs are asked to approve the extension of Covid restrictions in England for an additional four weeks.The vote comes just days after the prime minister announced a delay to the so-called “Freedom Day” — the lifting of all remaining coronavirus measures — that had been pencilled in for 21 June, amid concern over the spread of the Delta variant that was first detected in India.Instead, the government will ask MPs today to sign off an extension to the restrictions until 19 July, which Mr Johnson described as the “terminus date” during a No 10 press conference, but also declined to rule out an additional delay next month.Given Sir Keir Starmer is expected to instruct his MPs to back the extension of the coronavirus measures until July, the government’s plans will almost certainly pass the House of Commons later today.But Conservative lockdown-sceptics are likely to express their anger during the debate on Wednesday – despite reports the prime minister had been been calling wavering MPs on Tuesday urging them to back the extension of restrictions.The Tory MP Peter Bone, who said he was “disappointed and surprised” by 21 June delay, told The Independent he will vote against the government.“The guiding principle is to take away the freedoms of the English people — there has to be a real and severe threat and I don’t think the government has made its case for that,” he said.Conservative Mark Harper, chairman of the Covid Recovery Group (CRG), told LBC radio earlier this week he believed the government “could have moved ahead perfectly safely on 21 June”.“I listened carefully to what the prime minister said yesterday and I was in the House of Commons for the health secretary’s statement, and it seemed to me we don’t know anything today that we didn’t know when the prime minister was telling us he was happy to move ahead on the 21st of June.”However, some scientists who were calling for a short delay to the 21 June date said the move was necessary to prevent a spike in hospitalisations due to the surge in infections of the Delta variant in some areas of the country in recent weeks.In a sign of the unease about the continuation of restrictions in the Tory ranks, the cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg also told a podcast hosted by the Conservative Home website: “Infections are not what matters anymore. Two things that matter: can the NHS cope and the number of deaths.”He later added: “Ultimately, the NHS is there to serve the British people, not the British people there to save the NHS. Therefore we may need to spend more money on hospitals.“You can’t run society just to stop the hospitals being full, otherwise you’d never let us get in our cars and drive anywhere or do any of the other things that people want to do, so there has to be some proportionality”.He also stressed that it cannot be the case that every adult in the country had to have received both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine before restrictions are lifted, saying: “You need to look at the risk”.Quizzed on his comments and the government policy of protecting the NHS since the onset of the pandemic, the international trade secretary Liz Truss told Sky News: “Jacob has his views and those are his views.“But what I’m telling you is the reason we are doing this, the reason we are taking these measures is to protect lives, and that’s what’s important.” More

The coronavirus crisis has highlighted the urgent reforms needed in adult social care with many providers living “hand to mouth”, an influential group of MPs warns today. The Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) found the pandemic has had a devastating impact on the sector and emphasised that care is not properly funded. The committee also accuses ministers of appearing “complacent” about the potential for care home operators to fail.Ministers have faced intense anger from the public over their handling of care homes during the pandemic.The health secretary Matt Hancock has also faced accusations that he lied to the prime minister about plans to test care home residents before they were discharged from hospital at the height of the first wave, which he denies.The government was also accused of letting down millions of people when it emerged that a long-promised social care reform plan was not included in the Queen’s Speech earlier this year.The report warns that the pandemic has left many care home providers at risk of failing. Average home occupancy was around 90 per cent at the start of the crisis, but fell to around 80 per cent by February this year. MPs also accused the Department of Health and Social Care of a “reticence” to challenge local authorities in England, most of whom, it says, are paying providers below the cost of care. This has left many care home operators forced to live “hand to mouth”, unable to take long-term decisions which would improve services. At the same time, however, there is a lack of transparency about what people or councils get for the money they spend, MPs found. The sector also faces a potential population explosion in coming years. If current patterns continue the number of adults aged 65 and over requiring care by 2038 could rise by 57 per cent.The MPs have called on ministers to set out, by next month, the support providers require in the short to medium term. Long promised proposals for reforms should be published by the end of the year, they add. For their part, providers should have to give clear and comparable information about fees, as well as a breakdown of how the money is spent. Meg Hillier, the chair of the PAC, said that after decades of neglect care home residents and their families deserve better.“The reforms to address this now must include a long-term funding plan that allows local authorities and providers to innovate and improve services. We cannot afford more broken commitments on care,” she added.Edel Harris, from the charity Mencap, said that during the pandemic people with a learning disability had their care cut “when they needed it most, died at shockingly higher rates than the wider population, and the care sector has been pushed to breaking point”. Ms Harris also added: “It’s time the prime minister finally matched his words with action to level up the social care system.”The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) has warned local authorities are facing a “deluge” of requests for support as lockdown restrictions ease.ADASS president Stephen Chandler said: “Some of the numbers we are seeing are phenomenal. The trends are unsustainable and show why the government must publish its plans for social care as a matter of urgency.“Our findings demonstrate very starkly that the crisis in social care is not just a crisis in the way we support older people. Half our spending is on help for adults of working age.”A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Throughout the pandemic we have sought to protect everyone working in the social care sector or receiving social care, particularly older people who are more vulnerable to the virus, and have provided almost £1.8 billion for the sector, including infection prevention, control measures and prioritised the sector for the vaccine.“As previously announced, the Health and Care Bill will introduce plans to develop and support improved adult social care oversight across England.“We are committed to sustainable improvement of the adult social care system and, as affirmed in the Queen’s Speech, we will bring forward proposals later this year to ensure every person receives the care they need, provided with the dignity they deserve.” More

A Conservative MP has been accused of engaging with “baseless Covid conspiracy theories” after claiming the government used false information to “dupe people” into accepting a longer lockdown.Marcus Fysh, the MP for Yeovil, claimed in a series of tweets that the government had made “patently untrue” claims about the effectiveness of vaccines against the Delta variant.An opponent of prolonging Covid measures, Mr Fysh claimed this week, ahead of Boris Johnson’s announcement, that there was “no need to panic” about rising cases.But on Tuesday morning, following the prime minister’s statement, he went further and accused the government of using underhand tactics to get its way and bring the public onside.“Briefing to the media by the government that vaccine first doses weren’t effective against the Delta variant as the main reason not to release on 21 June was patently untrue, as they must have known,” he said.“Do they really think that builds the credibility of public health decision-making?”Mr Fysh added that he believed the government thought vaccines were effective against the new variant after a single dose but had “briefed the media the other way to dupe people into accepting further lockdown”.A recent study from Public Health England shows that one dose of both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines is only 33 per cent effective against the Delta variant, which now accounts for nine out of 10 new Covid cases in the UK. This rises to 60 per cent after two doses of AstraZeneca and 88 per cent after two Pfizer jabs. But both vaccines are “highly effective” at preventing hospitalisation, according to Public Health England research announced on Monday. However, it could take up to 28 days after the first dose of either vaccine for the recipient to have sufficient immunity, other research released on Monday indicated. Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “A sitting Member of Parliament should know better than to engage with baseless Covid conspiracy theories. “He has got his figures totally muddled and should think longer about the consequences for public health before he tweets from the hip. “The allegation that his own government is making figures up to trick the public into lockdown is so serious, I wonder how Boris Johnson can stomach having him in his party.” More

Tariffs will be scrapped immediately on imported beef and lamb from Australia, triggering accusations that the trade deal struck by Boris Johnson will send UK farmers “to the wall”.The small print of the first major post-Brexit agreement – revealed by Canberra, as the UK government tried to keep it under wraps – revealed a pledge to protect farmers for 15 years has been dropped.Instead, Australian farmers will effectively be handed tariff-free access from day one, up to a “cap” on sales that is 60 times the current level of imported beef.The detail was revealed as experts warned the overall economic boost from the deal would be “close to zero” – and the government admitted the average household would be just £1.20 a year better off.The National Farmers Union demanded ministers come clean on exactly what has been agreed, “to ensure our high standards of production are not undermined by the terms of this deal”.Emily Thornberry, Labour’s shadow trade secretary, also said: “No other country in the world would accept such a terrible deal for its farming industry, and neither should we.“With this deal, and the precedent it sets for New Zealand, America, Canada and Brazil, the government will send thousands of farmers to the wall, undermine our standards of animal welfare and environmental protection, and threaten the conservation of our countryside.”MPs are demanding the power to scrutinise the deal immediately, but ministers – as The Independent revealed – plan to deny full access until the autumn, when critics fear it will be too late.Neil Parish, the Conservative chair of the Commons environment committee, said that “would make a mockery of the commitments made”, when a watchdog was promised last year.The prime minister, shaking hands in Downing Street with Scott Morrison, his Australian counterpart, insisted it was “a good deal that will benefit British farmers and British consumers as well”.It contained “the strongest possible provisions for animal welfare”, the prime minister argued, telling journalists: “We had to negotiate very hard.”However, when the deal was mooted last month, it was anticipated that tariffs and quotas would not be fully removed on meat imports for 15 years – to calm the protests of worried farming groups.But the full details, released by Australia but suppressed in London, showed that:Tariffs on beef will only kick in, from day one, when imports rise above 35,000 tonnes – more than 60 times the level of sales to the UK in 2020.Tariffs will only be levied on imports of lamb above 25,000 tonnes – around three times last year’s sales.Currently, Australian beef exporters pay a 12 per cent tariff, with variable surcharges of between £1.40 and £2.50 a kilo, and face an annual quota of 3,761 tonnes.Labour also argued the UK would leap immediately from the 27th to the 6th most popular destination for Australian beef, if the full quota was taken up, and to third place for lamb.Tariff-free beef imports will be allowed to reach 110,000 tonnes by the tenth year and sheep meat imports 75,000 tonnes.“While Australia is getting everything it wanted and more, we are getting next to nothing in return, with a minuscule 0.025 per cent increase in UK growth the most optimistic projection,” Ms Thornberry added.Trade experts backed that verdict on the economic benefits of the deal, John Ferguson, at the Economist Intelligence Unit, calling it “incredibly small”.“This is simply due to the fact that Australia is a long way away from the UK and distance really matters to the amount that two countries trade with each other,” he said.Dr Peter Holmes, of the UK Trade Policy Observatory at the University of Sussex, said: “The total direct net effect of the trade deal will be close to zero, so the key questions are what provisions it makes for standards and what precedents it sets.”The UK government said the “agreement in principle”, to be published in the coming days, would:Eliminate tariffs on all UK goods going to Australia – although they are typically only around 5 per cent.Save British households £34m a year as tariff cuts make Australian imports cheaper – which works out as £1.20 per household.Allow Britons under the age of 35, instead of under 30, to take up working holiday visas – and free them from a compulsory rural work – in a second year in Australia.Scrap export tariffs for car manufacturing, Scotch whisky, confectionery, biscuits and ceramics.Downing Street has been asked to confirm the tariff-free deal for beef and lamb imports and respond to the criticism that farmers have been let down.Liz Truss, the trade secretary, admitted to a “zero-tariff quota that increases over time”, but argued there were safeguards to prevent “import surges”.She also said MPs would eventually vote on the deal, but there would be no detailed scrutiny until after it has been agreed in full, which is not expected to happen until the autumnAngus MacNeil, chair of the Commons international trade committee, condemned the delay, saying: “The trade negotiation team must come to a public hearing of the committee.“This is too important for a ‘pig in a poke’ deal – we don’t want the UK to agree to something that hasn’t been scrutinised.” More